Search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital public relations (Digital PR) are two of the most effective marketing tactics brands can employ to boost authority and awareness.
While SEO enhances your website to please search engines, Digital PR makes sure that your content is seen, preferably by the right people. It involves building relationships with authority websites, journalists, and influencers.
These entities linking back to you tell Google and the broader online audience that you can be trusted.
When the two marketing strategies intertwine, brands reap maximum benefits. The synergy between Digital PR and SEO translates to credibility and higher search rankings.
Benefits of Digital PR for SEO
Unlike traditional PR, Digital PR is all about online channels. The point isn’t solely to get people talking about your brand. It’s also to persuade authority websites to promote your content, which can support SEO.
Improved Backlink Profile
Each time a website links back to yours, your brand earns credibility. The more reputable the site, the more powerful these trust signals are.
Done right, Digital PR secures backlinks on authoritative news outlets and industry platforms. This can help build a solid backlink profile, contributing to your SEO strategy.
Enhanced Brand Visibility and Awareness
Digital PR gets your content across diverse channels. When your brand gains exposure through news mentions and influencer collaborations, more people become aware of your products or services.
This is very important as studies show that 82% of searchers click on brands they already know.
Therefore, even if consumers don’t directly search for your brand, knowing who you are makes them more likely to check out your links.
Increased Website Authority
The Google algorithm has become more sophisticated, using the E-E-A-T framework to assess whether websites are trustworthy. When content is published on authoritative sources and receives a backlink, Google considers this a trust signal.
The more of these trust signals you receive (aka backlinks), the higher website authority you’ll receive. If you continually do this with your digital PR campaigns, Google will soon look at your website as a trusted source, boosting search visibility.
Better Search Engine Rankings
Combined, Digital PR’s effects have a positive impact on search engine rankings. Google interprets mentions on relevant blogs, social media, and publications as points in your favour.
Besides driving traffic to your pages, quality backlinks push you higher in rankings. Before long, search engines will prioritise your content over that of your competitors.
Amplified Content Reach and Distribution
A successful Digital PR campaign maximises your content’s reach. If done successfully, your content (and brand) can be distributed to many different PR outlets.
Because of this, the likelihood of earning natural backlinks grows, so this amplified distribution benefits SEO performance once again.
Steps to Integrate Digital PR with SEO
When they work together, Digital PR and SEO do wonders for a brand’s online visibility. The only catch is that campaigns must be built with SEO principles in mind.
Step 1: Align PR Campaigns with SEO Goals
Whether you want to increase backlinks, drive targeted traffic, or boost awareness, you must create a PR campaign supporting your long-term SEO goals.
Based on those goals, you can then create content and publication outreach strategies that actually benefit you in a way that supports your business.
Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research for PR Content
Once you have a campaign idea, make it more effective by targeting specific keywords.
You can use SEO tools to identify high-value keywords. Afterwards, you can craft your content around them to increase your chances of ranking for specific search queries.
Remember, however, that depending on your PR content strategy, this may or may not be effective. It’s effective if it’s a sought-after and evergreen topic. However, for PR strategies like newsjacking, you’ll have less keyword data available.
If you use a strategy like reactive digital PR, use tools like Google Trends.
These indicate what trends are getting the most searches that day, week, or month. This can be extremely helpful when searching for newsjacking opportunities that are supported by data.
Step 3: Optimise PR Materials for Search Engines
PR materials should be optimised for search engines as well. Include relevant keywords in headlines and meta descriptions, and use high-quality visuals with descriptive alt tags.
Additionally, take extra time before launching the campaign to double-check your website’s user experience. Your content should have strong landing pages and internal linking to guide incoming users to even more valuable resources.
Step 4: Leverage Influencer Partnerships for Quality Backlinks
Given that 63% of consumers aged 18-to-34 trust influencers over brands, collaborating with them is a no-brainer.
Influencers speak louder than a lot of brands. Consumers trust them differently. Therefore, to make a real impact, leverage influencer partnerships to gain some of this trust.
Step 5: Monitor How Digital PR Efforts Affect SEO Metrics
When running a Digital PR campaign, it’s crucial to measure and track the right KPIs to evaluate its impact on SEO performance, including keyword rankings.
These KPIs will depend on your specific goals.
For example, if your objective is to boost organic traffic, monitor metrics like backlink quality, referral traffic, and keyword ranking increases because of digital PR.
Before launching your campaign, ensure your monitoring tools are properly set up. Depending on your strategy, tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help track keyword rankings, site traffic, and domain authority.
By keeping a close eye on these metrics, you’ll gain valuable insights into how your Digital PR efforts contribute to your SEO goals, allowing you to refine your strategy for maximum results.
Effective Digital PR Strategies for SEO
Data-Driven Content Creation
Journalists are hungry for data, with 68% saying they want research-backed digital PR pitches. Including insights in your campaigns increases your credibility and makes your story more likely to be picked up.
How to do this:
- Conduct original research or surveys within the industry
- Use publicly available data to provide a fresh perspective
- Share your findings in easily digestible reports
Newsjacking and Trend-Based Content
Relevance also makes press materials irresistible. This is where newsjacking comes in. Simply put, it works by crafting press materials that tie into current events.
Oreo made headlines in 2013 by posting a funny tweet when a power outage interrupted the Super Bowl. The post was retweeted 15,000 times, improving brand awareness and leading to an increase in followers across platforms.
Source: OREO Cookie
How to do this:
- Monitor trending topics and breaking news
- Create content that ties your brand or campaign to the trending topic
- Send your message out quickly for maximum engagement
Thought Leadership Articles and Guest Posting
Authoritative platforms are already go-to sources for interested readers. By publishing guest posts, you establish your brand as an expert and boost SEO at the same time.
How to do this:
- Pitch popular websites with valuable information that appeals to their audience
- Share industry insights or solutions to common problems
- Squeeze in natural backlinks to your website every chance you get
Visual Content Creation
If you spend time on social media, you already know that visual content performs better than plain text. Posts with images receive 2.3 times more engagement on Facebook, while a video generates 1,200% more shares than text and image content combined.
Take advantage of this by incorporating visual assets into your Digital PR campaigns.
How to do this:
- Use high-quality images, infographics, or short videos to accompany press releases
- Experiment with interactive content like quizzes or animations to promote engagement
- Incorporate keywords in titles, alt text, and descriptions to maximise SEO impact.
Local PR Initiatives for Improved Local SEO
Depending on your goals, sometimes it’s better to think small. If you run a restaurant, for instance, your main customer base is in your immediate vicinity via local SEO.
How to do this:
- Reach out to local media outlets and creators
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp
- Partner with community organisations to strengthen your online presence in local search results
Examples of Successful Digital PR Campaigns for SEO
Digital PR campaigns pay off in SEO dividends. From conversions to traffic to increased awareness, brands have seen amazing results.
Case Study 1: IBM High-Impact Research Study
IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report caused the perfect Digital PR storm.
The brand surveyed organisations and business leaders impacted by cyberattacks. Then, they packaged their findings in an appealing way, highlighting key takeaways and creating a video about how companies can stay protected.
The report made waves. It was picked up by major publications, leading to a significant increase in organic traffic. The brand also earned an impressive number of high-authority backlinks and referring domains.
Case Study 2: Spotify Wrapped Viral Social Media Campaign
The popular Spotify Wrapped campaign is another example of effective Digital PR. The streaming service releases data about users’ listening habits at the end of the year, causing a media frenzy.
Listeners make predictions about their top artists and tracks, building hype as the big day approaches. When the recaps finally drop, they flood social media with their stats.
Reference: Brand mentions of “Spotify” During Wrapped Campaign
As you can see from the image above, brand search increased massively during this period. This just shows how you can use non-SEO tactics to boost SEO performance.
Case Study 3: How Lifespan Fitness Used Digital PR to Supercharge Organic Performance
Lifespan Fitness, a leader in fitness equipment for Aussies, offers a wide range of products, from treadmills to gym stations.
Despite their strong market presence, they wanted to diversify their link-building strategy to elevate their SEO campaign.
The Goal
To strengthen Lifespan Fitness’s link profile, we launched a tailored Digital PR campaign.
The objective was to secure high-authority links from top publications, complement their SEO efforts, and provide education on leveraging Digital PR for long-term marketing success.
Key Results
- 14 Links Secured: One campaign delivered 14 high-quality links.
- Average Link DR 65: Links maintained an impressive Domain Rating average.
- Highest Link DR 90: The campaign achieved a top-tier backlink from a DR 90 site.
This campaign not only boosted their organic search performance but also laid the foundation for broader marketing opportunities, showcasing the power of Digital PR in diversifying SEO
Measuring the Impact of Digital PR on SEO
Brands can stay on top of metrics to assess their Digital PR campaigns' influence on SEO. By tracking relevant stats, they can also identify opportunities for improvement.
Key Metrics to Track
Brands should always keep track of backlinks, domain authority, organic traffic, social media following, and search rankings to determine whether their SEO strategy hits the mark.
During campaigns, it’s also important to measure specific metrics based on your overall objectives:
- Reach/impressions: Show how many people are exposed to the campaign.
- Key message pull-through: Tells you whether the intended message resonates with your target audience.
- Website impact: Data points like bounce rate and dwell time offer a clear picture of how the campaign drives engagement.
Monitoring Tools
Brands can assess SEO performance via monitoring tools, which are widely available and user-friendly.
Platforms like Meltwater, Vuelio, and Talkwalker allow you to track mentions across platforms and see how your audience feels about your message.
Google Analytics and BuzzStream, meanwhile, help you monitor website performance and link-building efforts.
Interpreting Data
Since metrics tell you a lot about how audiences interact with your content, you can use this insight to tweak future campaigns to be more effective:
- What content do journalists seem to prefer?
- What topics generate the most engagement?
- Which influencers drive the most conversions?
- Which social media platforms send you the most traffic?
Answering these questions will help you refine your Digital PR approach.
Digital PR + SEO = Incredible Growth
If you want to upgrade your brand’s online presence, Digital PR is the way to go.
Integrating it with smart SEO tactics leads to sustained traffic and improved search rankings.
Your brand authority will solidify, and customers will flood your virtual gates.
Take advantage of the synergy between Digital PR and SEO now to have a stronger digital presence in the future.
